Ragged✔|18+

TWELVE

"What's her name?"

"Reyna."

* * *

"Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes," Brooke says as we enter the house. 

"Uh, Brooke. . ." How do I tell her this? "We don't have dinners."

She frowns. "What do you mean you don't have dinners? You guys don't eat?"

"No." I scratch the back of my head. Fuck, I can't remember being this anxious trying to explain something to someone.

"Then?" Brooke prompts.

"We don't eat together." The admission sounds worse spoken out loud. It's never really bothered me until now.

Sympathy floods Brooke's eyes. "Oh, sweetie."

"It's okay. It's just food." I give her a tight smile as I back away from her. "I'll be in my room."

"I'll send up something for you," she calls as I scramble up the stairs.

I pass by Leo's room and decide to pay him a visit. He's not happy when I barge inside. Good thing he's only seated in his study table.

"The fuck, man?" he asks angrily. "What happened to boundaries?"

"What, you jerking off to some weird hentai porn or something?" I flop on his bed and take out my phone, scrolling through the notifications on it.

"Precisely why you shouldn't barge into somebody's room like that. What the fuck do you want?"

"Some peace and quiet."

"And you couldn't do that in your own room?"

I ignore answering his question. "I had lunch with Brooke today."

"So I've heard and before you continue, I don't give a shit. She's had lunch with each and everyone of us. You're not that special."

That makes me laugh. "I think I like her. She's not like the others."

"And I don't care. Jesus Christ, I'm trying to work on something here. So you better shut up or fucking leave. Highly suggest you go with the second option."

"Okay but serious talk. What do you think she'll introduce to make us bond as a family?"

Dad's past girlfriends have tried to no avail to make us do different stuff in order to strengthen our ties as a family. They all failed and it's not that hard to figure out why.

"I don't know," Leo says. "But I'm banking on family dinners and family game nights. Now, shut up. I have an AP World history test on Monday and you're stressing me out."

"Fine." I roll my eyes and bring the phone back to my face. I'm fairly shocked when I'm met with one particular text message notification.

From Reyna of all people.

Hey

My fingers are on autopilot as I type, Hi

I have a proposition for you

What kind of proposition?

The kind where you get to take me out on that date you've been adamant about

Holy shit. My mood just got a thousand times better. What made you change your mind?

Like I said, I have a proposition

Lets hear it

I'll agree to it if you take me somewhere first

Where?

That's not important. Do we have a deal?

I mull over it before bringing up the keypad and typing, Call me

She wastes no time in doing that and I answer on the first ring.

"Sounds like you just want to use me, Sugarcake."

"It's not. . ." There's rustling in the background, like she's settling back on her pillows.  "Well, maybe it is but just a little bit. I promise it'll just be a minute. I need to get something and then we'll go wherever you want us to go to."

"Where exactly are you planning to go?"

A pause. "Say we have a deal and I'll tell you."

"We have a deal."

"Promise?"

I sigh.  "Promise."

"Queens."

Queens? "Meeting up with somebody?"

There's a bit of hesitation from her before she answers, "No, I just need to get something."

"Okay and after that you'll be one hundred percent on board with the date?"

"A hundred percent."

"Okay."

"For real?"

"I would never say no to a pretty face like yours."

That makes her laugh nonetheless and I relish the sound of it. "Save the compliments for the actual date. Oh, and you have to come over for a screening from my dad."

"Your dad? You trying to kill me or something?"

"It's just a few questions," she says. "He'll only let me go if he's sure you'll follow his conditions to a T."

"Yeah, I don't really have a good track record with dads."

"Please don't back out," she pleads. "You're literally the only one I can count on right now."

That hits me different. I can't remember a time anyone's ever counted on or needed me for that matter. "Okay, Sugarcake. It's a date."

There's a muffled noise in the background and it takes me a moment to figure out what it is.

"Did you just scream into your pillow out of excitement?" I ask.

"No," she says, then after a moment, she adds, "Maybe."

"This really means so much to you, huh?"

"You have no idea." Then she adds softly, "Thank you."

I smile to myself. "You're welcome."